Protective brick against radioactive radiations

ABSTRACT

A brick intended primarily to protect against radioactive radiations comprises two longitudinal parallel faces the surfaces of which may or may not be smooth, a front face and a rear face whose convexity and concavity are oriented vertically, and an upper and lower face whose convexity and concavity are oriented horizontally. Each of the upper and lower faces is provided with a central recess which has the same convexity and concavity as the adjacent end portions of the corresponding face. The faces other than the longitudinal faces are provided with flat edges or shoulders so that the bricks are connected by fitting them vertically one into the other and their opaqueness is assured by their alternative disposition with the flat shoulders and convex surfaces in abutting relationship to each other.

United States Ptet 2,854,842 10/1958 Hosbein et al.

Inventors Charles Leuthold;

Francoise Leuthold, both of Avenue Ruchonnet 14, Lausanne 1000, Switzerland Appl. No. 674,246 Filed Oct. 10, 1967 Patented Oct. 19, 1971 Priority Oct. 11, 1966 Switzerland 14816/66 PROTECTIVE BRICK AGAINST RADIOACTIVE RADIATIONS 6 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

11.8. C1 250/108, 52/608, 52/609 Int. Cl 621i 3/04 Field of Search 250/108 WS; 52/608, 609

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,932,745 4/1960 Alberti et al 250/108 WS 2,942,115 6/1960 OConnell 250/108 WS 2,970,218 1/1961 Shaw 250/108 WS FOREIGN PATENTS 1,094,433 12/1960 Germany 250/108 WS Primary ExaminerArchie R. Borchelt Att0rneyGroff and Groff ABSTRACT: A brick intended primarily to protect against radioactive radiations comprises two longitudinal parallel faces the surfaces of which may or may not be smooth, a front face and a rear face whose convexity and concavity are oriented vertically, and an upper and lower face whose convexity and concavity are oriented horizontally. Each of the upper and lower faces is provided with a central recess which has the same convexity and concavity as the adjacent end portions of the corresponding face. The faces other than the longitudinal faces are provided with flat edges or shoulders so that the bricks are connected by fitting them vertically one into the other and their opaqueness is assured by their altemative disposition with the flat shoulders and convex surfaces in abutting relationship to each other.

PATENTEDum 19 |97| mummi- PROTECTIVE BRICK AGAINST RADIOACTIVE RADIATIONS The present invention relates to a brick for protection against radioactive radiations. This brick is advantageous in that it permits a quick and effective construction of armourplating or protective screens against radioactive or other dangerous radiations. The brick may also be used in the same manner as conventional construction units and, consequently, be assembled or disassembled at will.

The accompanying drawing shows by way of example one embodiment of a brick constructed according to the invention.

FIG. I is a perspective view of the brick.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view,

FIG. 3 is a side view thereof of the front side.

FIG. 4 is a side view thereof of the rear side.

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a wall showing the vertical interlocking of two rows of superposed bricks.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a vertically disposed series of angle bricks used to connect the sidewalls of a structure constructed according to the invention.

The brick, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, comprises two longitudinal faces I, 2 parallel one to the other with flat surfaces, a front face 3 (FIG. 3), convex throughout the entire height of the face, the convexity being limited by two shoulders 4, 4, having flat surfaces, a rear face 5 (FIG. 4), 5**, through the entire height of the face, the concavity being limited by two shoulder 6, 6, having fiat surfaces.

The brick further comprises an upper face 7 (FIG. 2), convex throughout the entire length of the face, the convexity being limited by two shoulders 8, 8, having flat surfaces. The face 7 is provided with a central recess 9, for example of a length twice that of the front and rear surfaces, of the same length and convexity respectively, the central recess having throughout its entire width spaced portions 10, 10' (FIG. 1) inclined symmetrically relative to a transverse plane passing through the middle of the length of the brick. The lower face 11 (FIG. 5) of the brick is concave throughout its entire length, the concavity being limited by two shoulders l2, 12', with flat surfaces, said face being provided with a central recess 13, of the same length as that of the central recess 9 and of the same concavity as that of the front and rear portions of said face 11. The central recess 13 has throughout its entire disconnected parts, I4 14' (FIG. 1) inclined symmetrically relative to a transverse plane and to a longitudinal plane passing through the middle of the length and height of the brick respectively, this latter symmetry being disposed relative to the spaced portions l0, 10' respectively.

The opposite central recesses 9 and 13 as well as the faces 3 and 5 on the one hand, and 7 and 11 on the other hand, having the same curvature radii respectively, permit assembly of the bricks in the construction of a wall such as the one partially shown in FIG. 6. In this example, the bottom row comprises bricks 15, I5, 15" with a flat base and having no lower central recess. Above the two vertical joints 16, 16, formed by the assembly of said bricks, are fitted respectively the bricks I7, 18, identical to the brick described and shown in FIGs. I to 5, by means of their lower recesses 17 18' respectively.

In this second row and in superposed rows not shown in FIG. 6, the assembly of the bricks can only be effected by their vertical interlocking in view of the arching of their faces.

The centering of the bricks obtained by the recesses 9 and 13 (FIG. 1) could be completed by recessed holes drilled in the upper face of the brick and by lugs fixed in the lower face, for example a hole 19 (FIG. 2), of circular section, or a hole 20, of rectangular or square section, and a lug 19' (FIG. 5) or 20, of corresponding section, said lugs being integral with the lower face II.

The longitudinal faces 1 and 2 of the brick could have a surface which is not smooth.

One could also provide indentations on the arched edge 21 (FIG. I) of the upper face 7 of the brick and correspondin indentations on the arched edge 11' (FIG. 5) of its lower ace 11, the indentations penetrating into each other when two superposed bricks are interlocked vertically.

FIG. 7 shows vertically arranged angle bricks used to form a comer for connecting adjacent sidewalls of a structure. Four types of bricks are used to achieve the desired result, namely, a top brick 22, a first intermediate brick 23, a second intermediate brick 24, and a bottom or base brick 25. Each of the bricks include pairs of longitudinal parallel faces I, 2 disposed at right angles to each other. The bricks include convex upper faces and concave bottom faces with a central recess therebetween similar to the previously described embodiment except, in the case of the top brick 22, the upper face does not have a central recess and in the case of the base brick 25, its bottom face is flat. One end face of each of the bricks 22-25 is convex, whereas the other end face is concave so that a perfect mating fit will be achieved with adjoining bricks in the respective courses of bricks being connected. The material employed in manufacturing the brick described may, for example be lead, or an alloy of materials specially designed for biological protection or for the protection of material goods.

It may also be produced in the form of an angle brick, the outer and inner faces having, in such a case, smooth surfaces. In a protective wall, of square or rectangular shape, constructed by means of the brick described, the elements can only be disconnected one relative to the other by applying thereto vertical strains exclusive of transverse or lateral strains.

The brick described, in a modification shown in the drawing, could be produced so that its two faces I and 2 with smooth surfaces and its two upper and lower faces with curved surfaces have the shape of an arc of a circle to permit the construction of a chapel provided with a circular protective screen.

We claim:

I. A brick for protection against radioactive radiations, comprising two parallel longitudinal smooth faces, a front face and a rear face having vertically directed convex and concave sides respectively, an upper and a lower face having convex and concave horizontally directed sides respectively, each of said upper and lower faces being provided with a central recess of same convexity and concavity respectively as the corresponding end portions, the front, rear, upper and lower faces of said brick each being provided with flat shoulders, whereby the assembly of a plurality of said bricks is carried out by their interlocking engagement in a vertical direction, the alternate disposition of the flat shoulders and the curved surfaces of the bricks permitting the construction of a wall which provides a barrier to radioactive radiations and other dangerous radiations.

2. A brick according to claim I, wherein said parallel longitudinal faces with smooth surfaces are flat.

3. A brick according to claim I, wherein said parallel longitudinal faces have a surface which is not smooth.

4. A brick according to claim I, wherein said longitudinal faces and the upper and lower faces with curved surfaces have an arched shape for the construction of a chapel provided with a circular protective screen.

5. A brick according to claim I, wherein said upper face of the brick comprises at least one-recessed centering hole, the lower face of the brick being provided with a lug adapted to penetrate into the corresponding recessed hole of a brick of the lower row.

6. A brick according to claim I, wherein each the said parallel longitudinal faces of the brick comprises a broken line for its use in the form of an angle brick. 

1. A brick for protection against radioactive radiations, comprising two parallel longitudinal smooth faces, a front face and a rear face having vertically directed convex and concave sides respectively, an upper and a lower face having convex and concave horizontally directed sides respectively, each of said upper and lower faces being provided with a central recess of same convexity and concavity respectively as the corresponding end portions, the front, rear, upper and lower faces of said brick each being provided with flat shoulders, whereby the assembly of a plurality of said bricks is carried out by their interlocking engagement in a vertical direction, the alternate disposition of the flat shoulders and the curved surfaces of the bricks permitting the construction of a wall which provides a barrier to radioactive radiations and other dangerous radiations.
 2. A brick according to claim 1, wherein said parallel longitudinal faces with smooth surfaces are flat.
 3. A brick according to claim 1, wherein said parallel longitudinal faces have a surface which is not smooth.
 4. A brick according to claim 1, wherein said longitudinal faces and the upper and lower faces with curved surfaces have an arched shape for the construction of a chapel provided with a circular protective screen.
 5. A brick according to claim 1, wherein said upper face of the brick comprises at least one-recessed centering hole, the lower face of the brick being provided with a lug adapted to penetrate into the corresponding recessed hole of a brick of the lower row.
 6. A brick according to claim 1, wherein each the said parallel longitudinal faces of the brick comprises a broken line for its use in the form of an angle brick. 